Printing mechanism



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R. E. PARIS PRINTING MEcHANIsM Filed April 21. 194s 17 Sheets-Sheet 15 April 9, 1946.

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ATTORNEY April 9, 1946'. R. E. PARIS .2,398,036

PRINTING MECHANISH Filed April 21. 194s 1v sheets-sheet 1v 442 I V44, f I 443 1 zo vF/a f I F BG. 0 I3 36 90 [di IE6 /44 /52 /60 ISE f6 234 252 270 236 306 324 342 350 l ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 9, 1946` ternational Business Machines Corporation,

New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York l Application April 21, 1943,l Serial No. 483,877.

` 71 Claims. (.Cl. 101'93) This invention relates to a printing machine of the type which prints a plurality ofcharacters at once, for example a complete line, or one or more parts oi a line comprising a plurality of characters. One example of such a machine is the tabulating machine, but the invention is by no means limited to tabulating machines.

An important `object of th. invention is to increase the speed of operation. In the well known tabulating machines which have come into general use the printing mechanism comprises a separate type bar having all the'characters, for each 'column of the record sheet. These type bars are moved longitudinally and stopped at the proper position to place the selected type member in printing position. After the impression is made the type bars are all returned to the normal position. A printing mechanism in accordance with the present invention increases the speed at which the impressions can be made by eliminating certain mechanical limitations of the earlier form of printing mechanism, avoiding the idle stroke of the type bars by which they are restored closer spacing than has been possible with the earlier tabulating machines.

' Another object is to provide a printing mecha nism of the kind described having fewer parts and a generally simpler'construction.

Another object is to provide a multicolumn printer in which each type member serves a plu- I rality of columns.

Another object is to provide a printing mechanism which prints without blurring, while the type members and paper have relative motion past the paper.

Another object is to provide aprinting mechanism having a reciprocating type member carriage, which prints during `the movement of the carriage in either direction.

Another object is to provide a printing mechanism having a reciprocating type member carto the normal position, providing for the setting up and the printing to be carried out simultaneously by independent means, and reducing the movements of variably movable parts vof the printing mechanism to very small limits.

Another object of the invention is to provide a printing mechanismhaving a more positive action l .riage, which prints without blurring, during the movement of the carriage in either direction.

Another object is to provide a printing mechi anism which will produce a greater number of carbon copies than has been possible heretofore.

Another object vis to provide a manifold printing mechanism in which the thickening of the pape'rpack incidental to increasing the number ci sheets to be printed, automatically causes a out in the following description and claims and "illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principle oi' the invention and the best mode', which has been it. In the earlier tabulating machines mentioned above anincrease of the number of type characters entails a reduction ofspeed of the machine, because of elongation o fall the type bars.

A printing mechanism in accordance with my invention is not materially affected in respect tomechanism capable of printing the charactersatA 6Iv contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a iront elevation ofthe machine, withl the casing removed and parts broken away.

Fig. 2 isa right side elevation of the machine. Fig. 3-is a right side elevation of the card reading mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a portion of the ribbon Fig. 8 is a similar view of the same mechanism, at the limit of the hammer cocking movement.

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9 9 of Fig. 6.

Figs. 10, 11, and 12 are detail sectional views of three bearings in the hammer and latching bar mechanism.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged plan view, with parts in section, of a portion of the type member carriage and adjacent parts.

Fig. 14 is a plan sectional view on a large scale on the line I 4-I4 of Fig. 6.

Figs. 15, 16, and 17 are vertical sectional views villustrating three different positions of the storage mechanism and setting mechanism, in relation to one of the units of the selective printing control mechanism. Y

Figs, 18 19, and 20 are three diagrammatic views illustrating the operation of the selective printing control mechanism.

Figs. 21 and 22 are perspective views showing two dierent positions f a unit of the storage mechanism, in relation to its related group of pins in the selective printing control mechanism.

Figs. 23 and 24 are diagrammatic plan views illustrating the relative positions of the type members and their actuating hammers, at the time the latter are re1eased.

Fig. 25 is a vertical section on the line 25-25 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 26 is a plan view of the reciprocating drivey of the permutation bar unit.

Fig. 27 is a section on the line 21-21 of Fig. 26.

Fig. 28 is a development of the spiral cams of the reciprocating drive.

Fig. 29 is an enlarged detail plan "view, partly in section of a portion of the setting mechanism and cooperating parts of the storage mechanism.

Fig. 30 is a timing diagram of the setting mechanism. 1

Fig. 31 is a front elevation of the permutation [bar unit and adjacent parts of the machine.

Fig. 32 is an enlarged front elevation of a portion of the permutation bar unit.

Fig, 33 is a detail cross section on a still larger scale of a portion of the permutation bar unit.

Fig. 34 is a diagram of one sequence ofthe controlling recesses of the permutation bars and corresponding settings of the selective control pins and two different codes for the control records.

Fig. 35 is a diagrammatic sectional view of one group of six permutation bars, showing the control recesses for the character 9.

Fig. 36 is a, simplified circuit diagram.

Fig. 37 is a timing diagram, and

Figs. 38 and 39 are views showing portions of two control cards, with the same data represented in 12 point and 6 point code, respectively.

I have chosen to illustrate the invention as embodied in a record controlled machine, where its high speed can be fully utilized. The machine shown in the drawings is a tabulating machine, similar in its general arrangement to the oneshown in the Peirce Patent No. 2,042,324. A tabulating machine of `this kind comprises a card reading mechanism, an accumulating mechanism, and a. printing mechanism. The accumulating mechanism has been omittedI from the present disclosure-which is confined to the novel printing mechanism and the card reading mechanism which controls it.

A description of the major instrumentalities of the machine will be given first, followed by an explanation of its operation and various details of construction.

Main drive UPOn the bottom side of a base I0 (Fig. 1) is mounted a part of the driving mechanism which operates continuously. This includes a belt and pulley connection I3 between a motor (not shown) and a worm shaft I4. 'Ihe worm I5 thereon drives worm wheel I8 fixed upon shaft I1, so that said shaft continues running as long as the motor receives current.

At the right'end of shaft I1 is a clutch for driving the printing mechanism. 'I'his clutch comprises a notcheddisk I8 (Fig. 2) fixed to shaft I1 and adapted to be engaged by a dog II pivotally mounted -upon an arm 20 fixed to a gear 2l. The gear 2i is carried by a stud shaft 22 in axial alignment with shaft I1 and, through idler gear 23, drives gear 24 mounted on shaft 25. An armature latch 26 pivoted at 2l upon an arm 28 and biased to the right by a spring 20, normally holds dog I9 out of engagement with the driving disk I8, in the position shown in Fig. 2. A magnet 3B, upon energization, draws armature latch 26 to the left as viewed in this figure, releasing dog I9 so that its spring 3| may Ibring it into engagement with driving disk I8.

Upon deenergization of magnet 30 armature 2G will be moved by its spring into the pat/h of a projecting toe of dog I9 to throw the dog out of engagement with disk I8. Arm 20 will be similarly engaged by amature 26 to prevent further movement of gear ZI in a clockwise direction. Arm. 28 is pivoted near its mid point and provided at one endwith a stout spring 32 to absorb the shock of stopping gear 2 I. The usual rebound latch 33 is also provided. l

At its left end in Fig. 1 the shaft 25 has fixed 40 to it a gear 34 which meshes with a gear 35 fixed to a shaft 36. At the left end of the latter shaft is fixed a gear l1 meshing with a gear I8 secured to a shaft 39. The parts of the printing mechanism which take their drive from the latter shaft will be described in due time.

In Fig. 3 shaft I1 is shown as carrying a second clutch driving disk Il cooperating with a. dog 4I mounted upon an arm 42 to which is fixedly connected a gear I3 to drive the card reading device, through an idler gear 44. The engagement of these clutch elements is controlled by a magnet .45 and armature latch 48 in the manner described in connection with magnet 30 and its armature latch 26.

The printing mechanism The printing mechanism is mounted upon side frames 50 and 5I, in an upper frame comprising side plates 52 and 5I attached by cleats Il to subframe members 55 secured to the top of the side frames and 5I. The usual rotary platen 56 is mounternear the rear of the upper frame.

Paper line spacing mechanism is provided therei for as described in-the above-mentioned Peirce Patent No. 2,042,324 and the description will not :be repeated in the present disclosure, since it forms no part of the invention. Figure 2 shows a shaft 51 which operates the pawl and ratchet mechanism (not shown) of the line spacing device, this shaft having ilxed to it an arm Il carrying a rod 5! cooperating with the fork of a lever 8l mounted on a stud shaft Il. To the latter shaft is secured an arm 62 connected by a link 63 to an arm Il fixed on shaft Si. This shaft, which is the same as shaft III o( Peirce Patent No. 2,042,324, is rocked by a cam mechanism shown in Fig. v15 of said patent.

A printing ribbon 49 is supported and fed by mechanism of conventional form, including a spool 89 removably mounted upon a spindlel, the bottom end of which has xed to it a bevel gear 58. For movement of the ribbon in one direction,.thisvbevel gear is in mesh with` a bevel gear 69 on an axially shiftable shaft 10, which is intermittently rotated by the usual pawl land ratchet mechanism, notshown in the drawings.

A For movement in the opposite direction the shaft 10 is shifted to engage a bevel gear on its opposite end with a bevel gear on the'spindle of the other spool not shown. The ribbon is drawn through tensioning rollers 1| past a guide member 12 adapted to be engaged by a clip near the end of the ribbon, to reverse the feed by shifting the shaft 10. The ribbon is further guided through a slot 13 (Fig. 4) in the bottom of an upright strip 10 secured to the frame in front of the platen, then back through a 45 slot 15, to pass across the front of the platen.'

The pawl and ratchet mechanism (not shown) for intermittently rotating the shaft. 10 is actuated by va shaft 16, which has xed on its end an the head and shank at 91 and 98 are arcuate,

with the axis of the pin 95 as their center (see and take up the forces transmitted by the impact of the printing hammer, to be described presently, against the type member. The shank of the type member'and the edge of the abutment bar 92 have complementary V-shaped surfaces 99, to prevent rebound of the type member on its return to home position, thus preventing shadow I' impressions and insuring repeat operations when arm 11 con ected by a link 18 to an arm 19 fixed upon a sh t 90. The shaft v00 is rocked by cams (not shown) on the shaft 25, through operating arms similar to those which rock the shaft |29 shown in Fig. 3 of the said Pierce Patent No. 2,042,324. The only difference is that in the present case the cams are shaped to rock the shaft 80 iirst clockwise, then counterclockwise.

Type member carriage In front of the platen and ribbon is a type member carriage 8| (Figs 2, 5, 6, and 13) mounted to travel parallel to the platen. This carriage comprises a square tube 82, to the bottom of which is fixed a rabbeted slide 83 guided in a groove formed by rabbeted plates 84 attached to the bottom of a stationary trough 85. Secured to the top oi' the square tube 82 is a channel shaped type member holder 86, the front wall 81 and rear wall 88 of which are slotted to form individual bearings for a row of type members 90. The type members lare pulled to home position against an abutment lbar 92 (see also Fig. 7) by individual retracting springs 9|. Each type member is composed of a shank 93, which guides the type member in rectilinear motion normal to the platen axis, and a head portion 94 pivoted to the shank by a pin 95 and bearings. type 96. The type is made to strike the record sheet on the platen while the type carriage is in motion, the head f94 turning on the pin 95 during the brief period of impact, to avoid blurring of the impression. In the position of rest of the type member the sides of the head 94 ilt snugly in the slot of vthe rear wall 08, but when -the type member camming action of the sides of the slot in the rear wall 88 against the tapered sides 90a. of the type member head. 'I'his insures that the head always starts toward the platen in the normal position and there is no force tending to deflect it, until it strikes the platen-a feature important to uniform spacing. The adjacent surfaces on required, as will be seen later.

Printing actuator mechanism For each column or character space of the record sheet, there .is provided a printing actuator, in the form of a hammer |00 (Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8). The hammers |00 are slidably mounted in bearing blocks |0| and |02, for rectilinear movement toward the type members. Each has associated with it a three armed impelling lever |03,

these levers being rockably mounted on a, stationary shaft |04. The downwardly extending arm |05 engages a shoulder |06 of the hammer; the upwardly extending arm |01 is connected by a link |08A to a driving spring |09 anchored by an adjustable hook ||0 to one or another of two cross bars The links |00, springs |09 and hooks ||0 pertaining to the successive actuating.

levers down the line slope alternately upward and downward from their pivotal connection at l2 to the arms |01, to enable the space between them to be reduced. The levers |03 have a third arm ||3 extending approximately horizontally, invposition to strike a cushioned abutment I4, to limit the impelling movement of the levers.

A sition shown in Fig. 7 to a limit position shown in Fig. 8, to retract all of the printing hammers and place them in a position in which they can be latched by respective latching dogs |23 or |24 (see also Fig. 6). The latching dogs are in two groups rockably mounted on shafts |25 and |20, respectively, the dogs |23 on shaft |25 alternating with the dogs |24 on shaft |25. Each printing hammer has on its bottom edge a pair of recesses |21, into one or the other of which the related dog |23 or |24 can rise, when the hammer is retracted, to be in a position to engage'the shoulder |28, when the shaft |20 starts back from its limit position.' The hammers are made with two recesses |21 to avoid the need for two different parts, to coact with the differentlypositioned dogs |23 and |24.

While all the hammers are retracted by the shaft |20 during each machine cycle, only those pertaining to columns in which a character is to` be ,printed in the particular machine cycle are latched in cocked position, the others being allowed to'return to the position of rest shown in Fig. 7. For the purpose of controlling the latching of particular hammers, there is provided below each hammer |00 a latching bar |30 or |30a. Th latching bars are slidably mounted in bearing blocks |3| and |32. Fig. 6 shows a latching bar |30 in front and a latching bar |30a behind, while Figs. 7 and 8 show only1a latching -bar |3011. These latchingbars are identical in function, but have slight differences in shape. due to the fact 

